70-year-old woman gives birth in India's Gujrat state

NEW DELHI:

A woman in India who claims to be at least 70 years old has given birth, making her one of the oldest mothers to deliver a child.

Jivunben Rabari from western Gujarat state conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, according to Naresh Bhanushali, who runs an IVF center in the Bhuj area of the state and the mother’s gynecologist.

"The couple came to me a year ago. Initially, we were reluctant to do this because of the woman's age. But they were anxious to have a child, so we decided to go ahead," Bhanushali told Anadolu Agency. "This case is the rarest of rare. It is a miracle to see a woman giving birth without any complication."

The doctor, who claims to have conducted more than 1,000 IVF cases explained why the case is rare.

"We had to do a surgical procedure of the woman before we started the process for IVF ... she conceived 10 months," he said.

Bhanushali said there is no document to prove Rabari’s exact age but she is "around 70 years old."

The doctor said the baby was delivered through a caesarian on Sept 9. "We usually don't do IVF at this age because of the risks involved but the woman was craving for a child. The couple pleaded and cried before us for this," said Bhanushali.

The mother and the child are doing fine and are being monitored continuously, said the doctor. "The couple is happy now and mother relaxed as well," he said. "The baby is healthy and we are continuously following the case."

This is not the first time in India a woman has delivered a baby at an elderly age. In 2016, a woman in northern Haryana state believed to be at least 70, gave birth to a baby boy.

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